Dead End Jobs
by Lucky Traveler
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng dreams of becoming a fashion designer, creating her own clothing brand. Stuck in a dead-end job, she struggles to put her name out there. Things start to change when she meet Adrien Agreste, a famous model. Teaming up, the two Parisians struggle to move forward with many obstacles in their way. Life-changing events can destroy all they've built. No powers AU
1. Chapter 1

4/23/17

 **Hi there! This is my first story, so please forgive and spelling or grammatical errors! Note that this story will NOT feature any powers, so no Tikki or Plagg. Both Adrien and Marinette are in their early twenties in this story. A few chapters will be rated T, but the majority the story is rated K+. There is quite a bit of exposition, so it starts out slow, but stick with it! It will get better. Updates will be posted every two weeks. If you like the idea of the story, let me know! If you enjoyed this chapter, or think it could use some changes, please review and let me know! Constructive criticism is always accepted!**

* * *

They call them dead end jobs for a reason. That's because they get you nowhere. Marinette knew that better than anyone.

Marinette had lived in Paris her whole life, growing up with hopes of becoming a fashion designer, but for about a year she has been working at a simple office in customer service. Marinette quickly grew tired of the monotonous routine: answer the phone, hear the problem, and find a solution. Every day was the same. Boring and repetitive.

The twenty-three year old Marinette Dupain-Cheng stepped into the office and was greeted with familiar sights. There were about 15 desks, all with a computer, headset, and some personal items. Only a few desks were vacant.

Some people were already seated at their respective desks. She gave a few quiet good mornings to her coworkers and didn't receive much of a greeting in return. No one was enthusiastic this Monday morning, and why would they be?

The Parisian girl sat down at her desk and set her purse and cup of coffee on her desk.

Marinette, being a fashion designer, always wore great outfits. She had designed most of them herself. Today, she wore a white pencil skirt paired with a lose navy button down shirt with white polka dots, and three inch navy heels. Her short, raven hair was in a bun, giving her a professional appearance.  
More of her coworkers started filling in, all looking as tired as Marinette felt. She took her metallic coffee cup into her hands, savoring the warmth the cup brought to her hands. Gently, she took a sip of her coffee and got to work.

* * *

A few minutes later, her boss came out of his private office and walked over to the reception desk, wishing good morning to Marinette as he walked. "Good morning, Mark." Marinette responded.

Her boss was Mark Damocles. He is an average height, but a big guy because of his broad shoulders. The top of his head was bald, but the hair that he did have was grey, along with his beard and mustache that covered much of his face. He gave off a powerful vibe with his commanding voice and cold brown eyes. He almost never had a smile on his face. He was stern to say the least. Everyone in the office knew better than to make him mad.

"Can I have your attention? First of all I hope you all had a good weekend,"

Marinette scoffed at the comment. She knew he could care less about our personal lives, he just wants the work done.

"And second, we have a new employee joining us today, please welcome Adrien Agreste."

For the first time, Marinette noticed the person next to her boss. Marinette immediately felt her eyes go wide and mouth open slightly. This "Adrien Agreste" that had just been introduced had blonde, almost golden hair that seemed to glow from reflecting the lights. He wore simple black pants, shoes, jacket and tie with a white shirt, but what really blew her away was his bright green eyes. For some reason his eyes seemed... happy, and the smile on his face seemed to convey happiness as well. _Who would be happy to be working here?_ Marinette wondered.

For some reason, he seemed vaguely familiar to her.

She was snapped out of her day dream when Adrien spoke.

"Hi! Its nice to meet you all!" He gave a small wave.

Everyone smiled at the young man at the front and some waved or quietly gave a 'hi' or 'hey' in return, but Marinette was speechless. Marinette never crushed easily, but it was impossible to ignore his appearance. He was attractive to say the least, even if he was only wearing business casual. Suddenly his green eyes locked with her vibrant blue ones. A furious blush covered Marinette's cheeks as she looked away trying in vain to cover the color that plagued her cheeks.

Mark finally spoke. "I'll show you to your desk."

Like everyone else, Marinette turned back to her desk.  
 _How embarrassing!_ She thought. I _'ll just try to sit with him during lunch... Then I can actually talk and be a regular person with him._ Marinette was so deep in thought she barely noticed Mark and Adrien going to her section of the room.

Marinette's head jolted up when she saw Adrien sit down at the desk in front of hers. She would be facing him and he would be facing her! Sure there was a little screen separating their desks, but it was short and thin.  
Marinette immediately looked down and tried to make herself look as busy as possible. She could not have a normal conversation with him when she was in this state!

She could hear her boss going over the basics and how to work certain programs on the phone and computer, but she tried to tune it out.

A few minutes later she noticed Mark going back into his office. Marinette was panicking that he would talk to her.  
 _Maybe he's quiet and won't talk to me, which is why I should talk to him on our lunch break!_

Marinette's thoughts were running a mile a minute; therefore, she didn't notice Adrien leaning toward the screen that separated their desks.

Adrien decided to talk to his new coworker.  
"Hi! Nice to-" Startled, Marinette accidentally knocked her coffee off of her desk with her elbow. The top of her cup popped off, spilling its contents. Adrien's eyes widened as the coffee spilled onto the thin, dark carpet.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to startle you! Um, do you have a napkin or something? Let me clean it up-"  
"No, no, I-I'm just r-really clumsy, it's my fault. I-I'll get it." Marinette pulled out some paper towels that she keeps handy for situations like this.

She mopped up the mess quietly, and as she did so, she glanced up to see if anyone was watching. It didn't look like anyone was other than a quick glance. They had all gotten used to her clumsy tendencies.

Marinette looked down and continued to try to soak up as much of the liquid as she could. She was confused by another hand and paper towel cleaning up the mess.

Marinette snapped her head up and noticed that Adrien was on his knees scrubbing the carpet like she was. For a moment she stopped, shocked that he was helping her. Finally she got the courage to say something.  
"Oh, no, you r-really don't have t-to help!" Marinette mentally slapped herself. _Stop stuttering!_ She scolded herself. Adrien gave the stuttering girl a small smile.

"Well, it was my fault too, so I can help clean it up. It's no big deal." Adrien reasoned.

Soon, there was nothing else to do to get the liquid out. That section of the carpet smelled like coffee and there was an almost unnoticeable stain where the spill had been.

"I'm really sorry about that, so let's redo our introduction: Hi, I'm Adrien Agreste!" He stuck out his hand.

Marinette reluctantly stuck out her own. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

They shook hands and Marinette felt her heart flutter. She knew it was just a hand shake but he had touched her hand. Hers! Adrien flashed another genuine smile. It looked so natural and real. Marinette could feel her face heating up once more and her heart was beating fast.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Marinette." Something about him saying her name made her heart soar.  
"N-nice to meet you too!" She barely noticed Adrien picking up all of the used paper towels and throwing them into the trash can by Marinette's desk.

Adrien offered his hand to help Marinette up, and slowly she took his hand. Adrien pulled her up and apologized once more.  
"Really it's ok, I-I'm just clumsy. W-well, have a great first day! I'm r-right here if you need anything."  
"Thank you, I will!" He replied. Adrien walked back to his desk and sat down. Marinette did the same.

Marinette quickly tried to get back to her work, but whatever she did, she couldn't get rid of the small blush and smile that came on her face when she thought about her new coworker.


	2. Chapter 2

**4/26/17**

 **This chapter was prewritten, so I could upload it a lot sooner than normally. Please excuse the mistakes, I wanted to get this one up as soon as I could. This chapter doesn't have a ton of plot, but I promise it is coming. Chapter 3 will be up either tomorrow or Friday because I wrote that one in advance. Things start picking up at chapter 4.**

* * *

It was lunch break. Marinette knew that she had to go and have a normal conversation with Adrien. Although she tried to look calm and normal, it was the complete opposite to what she actually felt.

 _What if I'm a stuttering mess? What if I'm overly awkward?_ Marinette thought. Her calm façade began to melt away as she neared the break room where Adrien was bound to be.

Marinette took a deep breath then opened the door. Marinette heard some of her coworkers talking as she scanned the room. The room was about half full since some people had staggered lunch breaks, but she didn't see Adrien anywhere. A look of confusion was plastered on Marinette's face as she thought. _But how can that be? I saw him come in here..._

Slowly Marinette closed the door and went to the fridge where her lunch was kept. As she grabbed the brown paper bag labeled "Marinette" from the fridge she asked one of her supervisors, Caline Bustier, if Adrien had come into the break room and where he had gone.

"Yeah, I asked where he was going and he said he was going to eat outside." Caline took a bite of her apple. Her fiery red hair was pulled back in a professional bun and she wore a mint green shirt with a professional white jacket that had quarter length sleeves. She had white skinny jeans with one and a half inch white heels. She was a very beautiful woman, and to top it off, Caline's green-blue eyes were exquisite.

Caline was extremely kind and optimistic. She was in her early thirties and a few years ago, she married her high school sweetheart. Enrolled in night school, she aspires to be a college professor. Until she graduates, she is stuck here. Marinette thought of Caline more as a friend than a superior.

Marinette smiled and thanked her. Caline had a sly smile on her face, seeming to know why Marinette had asked and where she was going when she left the break room.

* * *

The elevator ride was quick and in no time Marinette found herself at the main entrance. Marinette inhaled and exhaled deeply. Before she knew what she was doing, she was pushing the door open, greeted with the busy streets of Paris.

For some reason, the atmosphere of Paris's streets always calmed her. People were driving on the road, with bikers and pedestrians on the sidewalks. Some were walking in a hurry while others strolled, stopping in shops or to take pictures.

Marinette looked to her right and saw Adrien eating quietly on a bench a little way down the sidewalk. Gathering up all of her courage, Marinette walked to the bench nervously.

"C-can I sit here?" She asked.

"Hey, Marinette! Of course! Take a seat." Marinette's blush started once again as she sat next to Adrien, being as close as possible while still keeping a distance.

"Well, it's much better eating out h-here than in that s-stuffy office."

"Agreed."

The two fell into an awkward silence as they continued eating their lunches. Marinette had a turkey and cheese sandwich and an apple, but she didn't taste it. Marinette was only brainstorming what to say. Marinette knew that they had limited time before their lunch break was over and she desperately wanted to break the silence. Swallowing another bite of her sandwich Marinette thought of what to say.

"S-so, how has your first day been?" Hearing the words come out of her mouth, she could have slapped herself. _Is that the best you can think of?!_

"Oh, it has been good! Not everyone is very talkative, but I can understand why, your boss- well, _our_ boss seems pretty tough." Marinette's mouth was moving before she could stop it.

"Yeah, all he cares about is work, that's why we usually keep ourselves busy." Marinette was shocked by her own words. _Where did that come from? Wait- that's the first sentence I didn't stutter!_ On the inside, Marinette was cheering for herself. Maybe she was past the stuttering. Trying to keep the conversation going, Marinette kept talking.

"But he seems like he likes you, I-I mean who wouldn't, you seem optimistic and smart, not to mention attractive-" the words flew out of her mouth so fast she actually slapped her hand over her mouth. Marinette's cheeks had never felt so hot. _Did I actually just say that?!_ Marinette panicked.

"Oh-oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I-I didn't mean to, what I meant was-"

"Hey, it's ok! I slip up my words sometimes, too." Marinette had a hard time believing him. She didn't say anything in return, instead she just looked down and ate slowly. She missed the sympathetic look Adrien gave her.

Adrien decided to change the subject.

"There's something about Paris that's so... right. The buildings, the people, everything. It feels like everything is where it should be. Do you ever feel that?" Marinette only nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak, so Adrien took the reins.

"I've lived here my whole life, and yet, Paris always keeps me happy. There's always something to do or something to see. I don't think I could live anywhere else."

"That's exactly how I feel." Adrien looked over at Marinette, happy that she seemed more relaxed. Marinette lets out a breath with a small smile and slightly looked up. Then her face fell a little and regained a tense posture.

"Can... Can I ask you something?" Marinette asked.

"Of course." Adrien replied.

"Today... Well, this morning you-you seemed... happy and usually people aren't happy to be working at a job like this."

An amused smile was etched on Adrien's face as he thought about his response.

"It's funny you say that. You may know my father, Gabriel Agreste,"

Marinette's jaw dropped. _Gabriel Agreste!? The famous fashion designer?! He has been my idol since I was 15!_ Marinette thought.

"Of course! I should have known he was your father! I-I thought you looked familiar!"

"Yeah, I modeled for him a lot as a teenager, but I got sick of it. Besides, I never did it for me; it was for my father. I didn't want to model for him anymore, and I still don't, but he has been pressuring me to model again. I'm happy about this job because my father didn't want me to take it. I just want to show him that I'm in charge of my life and he can't manage me anymore."

Marinette reflected on Adrien's words. They made sense, and Marinette knew that she wouldn't want anyone micromanaging her life and controlling her choices.

"Why do you work here? I'd like to believe that's there's more out there for you than an office's customer service department." Marinette thought about it. Why was she here?

"I... I guess I'm just waiting for an opportunity s-somewhere else. I... I just need something to pay the bills r-right now."

Marinette looked down at her lap, cursing her stutter. In that process, she caught a glimpse of her watch. Only five minutes left of their lunch break. Marinette pulled her cardigan a bit tighter, it was September, and it was already getting a little chilly.

"W-we should get back... Mark hates it when we're late." Marinette gathered up her trash and didn't see the look of disappointment on Adrien's face. They both went inside, with Adrien holding the door open for Marinette.

Marinette cursed the blush that came on her cheeks and refused to leave.

Marinette pushed the elevator button and an awkward silence came between them as they waited for the elevator. A short ding sounded as the door opened for the two. Marinette and Adrien walked into the elevator and Adrien pushed their floor number. The doors closed and started to go up.

"What about you?" Adrien's question caught her off guard.

"W-what about me?"

"Are you happy here?" Marinette thought for a moment. Was she happy?

The same ring sounded again as they reached their floor. Both employees saw that all of their other coworkers were coming out of the break room and we're heading to their desks. Some were already seated. Mark Damocles was standing up toward the wall. He broke up Marinette and Adrien's conversation.

"Come on everyone let's get back to work!" With those words spoken, he retreated back into his office.

Marinette and Adrien both walked to their desks, the elevator closing behind them.

A few older women gave Marinette a smirk or cheeky look when they saw those two come out of the elevator. Marinette felt lucky in a way. She knew that she was the youngest person in the office and all of the other women were either married or in their late 30s or 40s.

Marinette sat down and thought as she started her work once again. _Maybe there's hope for me yet..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey... I know this is weeks late. I am deeply sorry! Those last few weeks of school had me drained, but now that school is out, you can expect more regular updates. Because of the long wait, this is a long chapter! Thank you for all of you who followed, favorited and reviewed! It really means a lot to me! Enjoy!**

* * *

The day was over. It was 18:00* and everyone was rushing to go home.

Although Marinette's family lives in Paris, Marinette decided to get her own apartment. She claims she got it to be closer to her job, but the real reason was that she knew she needed to be independent. That doesn't mean Marinette cut her family off. She visits regularly, or at least tries to. She stops to get a pastry and coffee some mornings or stays for dinner, but it can be difficult to be together for long periods of time because of her parents' business and Marinette's job.

This didn't mean Marinette went home to an empty apartment, though. Marinette had a roommate: Alya. Alya had majored in journalism in college and now works as an intern for CNN. Luckily, she was on the brink of becoming a reporter and journalist for CNN. This is exactly where Alya wants to be, which is the exact opposite of Marinette's situation.

Suddenly, Marinette caught sight of movement in front of her. Adrien was getting up to leave! _Come on, Marinette! You have to try to talk to him again!_ Marinette urged herself.

In a rush, Marinette grabbed her cardigan and purse, put away some stray papers and got up. Frantically, Marinette looked around and saw he was standing by the elevator with a jacket draped over his arm and a long strapped bag over his shoulder. The elevator almost completely filled.

Marinette walked as fast as she could across the carpeted floor to catch up to Adrien. For a moment, Marinette worried that there wouldn't be enough room for her and Adrien would leave without her, but six words elated her.

"I'll wait for the next one."

The elevator doors closed and left Adrien alone in front of the elevator. He wouldn't be alone for long. After the doors closed, Adrien waited a few seconds then pushed the button with the down arrow. Marinette, now walking at normal speed, reached the elevator, and Adrien.

"S-so, how was your first day?" Noticing Marinette's presence, Adrien turned toward her.

"Oh, hey! It was great! Everyone seems nice-" Adrien lowered his voice.

"-except Mark. Does that guy ever smile?"

"Maybe if someone told him he could go retire." A small, playful smirk came on Marinette's face, and then a look of surprise. _Where did that came from? Did I just tell a joke?_ Adrien seemed to like it though. He laughed, and it didn't seem forced.

About thirty seconds later, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. The two coworkers walked into the elevator and faced the office and found it empty. Everyone had left including Mark Damocles. The elevator doors closed, leaving the two in silence.

"You never answered my question from earlier." Adrien said suddenly. It caught Marinette by surprise.

"Wh-what question?" Marinette asked, knowing very well what question he was referring to.

"Are you happy here?" Marinette looked at him. Adrien's eyes looked curious, like he actually wanted to know. Marinette realized how long she had been looking at Adrien's face and looked down in embarrassment. Marinette thought for another second.

"No," she decided.

"I know what I want to do, but... but I've been here a year and all I do is answer phone calls and type on a computer all day..." Marinette trailed off. Marinette missed the sympathetic look he gave her. The familiar ding sounded as the doors opened. Adrien adjusted the bag on his shoulder as they walked out of the elevator and out the front doors.

The two adults were greeted with the cool autumn breeze and sunlight in their eyes. The sun wouldn't actually set for another hour and a half, but the sun was starting to dip towards the ground.

Marinette took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair, carefully avoiding the bun on her head.

"But, all I can do is keep working for it, and... I'll get there eventually. Dreaming is only worthwhile if you do something about it."

"I'm sure you will. I know you will. You won't be stuck in this job forever." Adrien smiled at her. Those words made her happier than words can express. Marinette smiled in return.

For a moment, Adrien and Marinette just looked at each other, smiling, until Marinette broke the stare.

"W-well, have a good evening, Adrien." Just saying his name made Marinette feel warm inside.

"You too, Marinette."

With that, they turned to go their separate ways. Marinette's apartment was only a fifteen to twenty-minute walk if she wasn't dawdling. Marinette started down the sidewalk, but looked back. She saw Adrien getting in a taxi and driving the opposite way. Marinette continued walking, a smile still etched on her face.

* * *

Marinette shut the door the door to her apartment behind her and locked it _._

"Alya?" She called.

"Hey Marinette! I'm in our room!" Alya called back.

Their apartment was small. One bathroom, one bedroom, and one kitchen with a connected living area. Neither of their jobs paid a lot, so this was all they could afford. It wasn't bad, though. The space was clean and there wasn't a bug or animal problem. Their décor was decent as well. The space was just small.

Marinette walked to their shared room. They had a bunk bed and a desk that they shared. Marinette was the top bunk and Alya was on the bottom. There was a dresser by the bed that held all of Alya's clothes and Marinette had hers in the closet.

Each of them found space for their personal items, like Marinette's mannequin and a full length mirror which was in the corner of the room. The walls were decorated with two bulletin boards, one for Marinette, and one for Alya. They had a poster of the rock star, Jagged Stone, along with pictures on the walls. Most were hung with clothes pins on strands of string.

Marinette looked and found Alya sitting cross legged on the bottom bunk typing away on her laptop that rested in her lap. She wore her usual blue jeans and orange and white plaid shirt.

Marinette set her things down on their desk. It was littered with papers and other items like a small lamp, pens and pencils, a few framed pictures, and Marinette's sewing machine.

Marinette kicked off her heels and hopped onto the bed next to Alya. She sat on the blankets with her legs dangling off the bed.

"Hey, Alya. How are you?" Marinette asked.

"I'm doing pretty good. I was talking with my boss earlier, and she told me I'm one of the top picks for this job as a reporter!" Alya responded excitedly.

"That's great!" Marinette sounded enthusiastic, but if she was honest with herself, she was incredibly jealous that Alya was about to get her dream job and Marinette was nowhere close.

"What about you?" Alya inquired.

"Well... We got a new employee today." Marinette said slowly.

"That's good," Alya looked up from her laptop.

"Unless it's not. You seem nervous. Anything to report about said person?" Marinette couldn't help the small smile that came on her face when she thought about him.

 _Was it a good thing that I met Adrien?_ Marinate wondered.

"Well... his name is Adrien Agreste and he's... he's- oh!" Marinette put her hands in front of her face to hide her blush that didn't seem to go away.

"What? What?!" Alya inquired.

"He's-he's... so attractive... I mean, his hair, his eyes, his smile! He's thehottestguyI'veeverseen!" Marinette said in a flash.

"If any guy has you this infatuated, I've got to see a picture!" Alya exclaimed, knowing how rarely Marinette crushed on someone.

Marinette would never admit it to anyone other than Alya, but she had searched up Adrien's name during work and she had found some recent pictures of him. Marinette pulled up some of the pictures on her phone and showed it to her. Alya whistled.

"Woah, girl! You weren't kidding! How can we get this guy with you?" Marinette's face became cherry red.

"O-oh I doubt he would want to go on a date with me..." Marinette said, suddenly finding a loose string on her skirt captivating.

"We'll see about that. I'll do everything in my power to get you two together." Alya swore to her. Marinette looked up at Alya, her unceasing blush still dusting her cheeks.

"He probably thinks I'm a joke..." Marinette mumbled.

"Why would you say that?" Marinette took a deep breath. She had a lot to explain.

Over the next few minutes, Marinette explained every interaction she had with Adrien that day. Alya sat quietly and listened.

"... and every time I tried to speak I was a stammering mess!" Marinette flopped her head onto Alya's shoulder and Alya simply stroked her head, attempting to soothe the distressed girl.

"Hm... I see your problem, but I still have hope. You should too." Marinette still had doubt.

"Here, let's get some dinner, Mari." Marinette smiled at her nickname. The two girls walked to the kitchen to enjoy a night of leftovers.

* * *

The morning light streamed through the window in their open floor plan kitchen and living room. Marinette sat at their small kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee from her favorite mug. It had a blue, purple, and green watercolor pattern all along the outside and a pink heart on the bottom of the cup. It was a gift from Alya a few years back.

The television was displaying a news caster talking about the forecast for this week as Marinette flipped through an issue of "Paris"; one of Marinette's favorite magazines. This one had a story on Gabriel Agreste and his success. The pages displayed all sorts his designs. She looked at him differently now knowing that his son was her new coworker.

Alya was in the kitchen making her breakfast, consisting of toast and coffee. When it came to cooking, Marinette was much more experienced than Alya. All her life, Marinette had made pastries and different foods with her parents in their family bakery, and she had become quite a good baker.

Alya was a different story. Even though her mother was a chef, she never had interest in creating the dishes her mother made. She wished she had learned how to cook when she lived with her family.

The sound of toast popping out of the toaster signaled that her breakfast was ready.

"Oh, come on!" Alya said, clearly frustrated.

"What's the problem?" Marinette turned around to face the counter. She saw Alya clutching a piece of black, charred toast. Marinette tried to stifle her laughter, but failed miserably.

"How come you can make all these super fancy pastry things and I can't make a piece of toast?" Marinette burst out laughing, unable to contain it. Alya's annoyance turned into amusement, and eventually started chuckling as well.

"Well, I'm a good baker; you're a good journalist. We're even!" Marinette compromised.

"Not necessarily- you forgot about that you are an amazing fashion designer. Oh, and speaking of which, I have something that might help you with that." Alya said.

"Oh yeah? What is it?" Marinette turned to face her roommate, giving Alya her full attention. She would always appreciate constructive criticism on her designs.

"Is it the suit with the weird collar? I've already started fixing that."

"No, no this is something different." That really caught Marinette's attention.

"Then what is it about?" Marinette asked curiously.

"You remember Nino?" Alya asked jokingly. Marinette rolled her eyes. Of _course_ she remembered Nino. He and Alya have been dating since junior year in high school. Marinette wouldn't be surprised if they got married someday.

"Yes, I remember Nino." Marinette chuckled.

"Well, he has a friend who used to be a model. He knows a lot about fashion and thinks that he might be able to help you improve and produce your designs." Marinette's eyes widened. This was the biggest lead she's had so far!

"Are you serious? That's incredible!" Marinette cheered. Marinette bounced out of her seat and ran over to Alya.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Marinette squeezed Alya in a tight embrace. Alya returned the hug.

"Of course, girl!" Marinette made a mental note to thank Nino the next time she saw him. _This is how I can get started! This could be a turning point for me!_ Marinate thought.

"You're meeting him Saturday morning at 8:30 at the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie**." A smile came on Marinette's face.

"My parents' bakery? Excellent choice. Oh, I completely forgot to ask for his name." Alya opened her phone to Nino's text messages and stared at the screen.

"Chat Noir." She stated plainly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Marinette asked, confused.

"He says you're meeting with Chat Noir. A… codename perhaps?" Marinette raised an eyebrow at this; she had never heard of a model who went by the name of Chat Noir. Marinette still smiled and shook her head. Two could play at this game.

"Mysterious. Well, tell Nino that Chat Noir will be meeting with Ladybug this Saturday."

* * *

Saturday came faster than Marinette realized.

It wasn't until she was walking down the bustling streets of Paris that she realized what was about to happen. If Nino was right, and Chat Noir could help her produce her designs, then she could finally show her designs to the world. Maybe, just maybe, she could become as famous as Gabriel Agreste someday.

In preparation for today, Marinette put together an outfit out of all original pieces, to show Chat Noir that she was serious about becoming a fashion designer. She wore a light pink dress that had designs of flowers on a vine starting at the bottom of the fabric that looked as if it was climbing up the side of the dress. It had wide shoulder straps that left her shoulders exposed. Because of the chilly weather, she put on a white cardigan that had three-quarter length sleeves that rolled up just before her elbow. She wore white kitten heels and had her hair in a loose bun, a few strands of blue hair falling in front of her ears. It was some of Marinette's best work.

Soon enough, Marinette was standing at the entrance to her parent's bakery. She let out a shaky breath and shook her hands, attempting to shake off her jitters. Holding her head up, Marinette confidently strode into the bakery. "Appearance is everything", she always told herself. _Don't mess up._

"Marinette!" She found the co-owner of the bakery, Sabine Dupain-Cheng waving and smiling at her. It was her mother. Marinette crossed over to her side of the counter.

"It's so good to see you, mom!" The mother and daughter shared a quick embrace. Marinate wouldn't admit it, but she really missed living with her parents. They were so kind and she had always loved living in a bakery.

"It's good to see you as well. What will it be today?" Sabine said cheerily.

"Can I have a croissant and a cappuccino? You know how I like it. Oh- and this order is for 'Ladybug'."

"Ladybug?" Sabine asked, puzzled. Marinate had never really been one for nicknames, other than Mari.

"It's hard to explain. Is that alright?"

"Of course sweetheart." Marinette smiled and kissed her mother's cheek. Her mother had always been so kind to everyone she met, she couldn't have asked for a better mother.

"Where's dad?" Marinette inquired. She noticed he wasn't behind the counter or out by the tables.

"He's busy baking in the kitchen. It's a crazy morning!" As if on cue, the bell chimed and the door swung open, signaling a customer arrived.

"Do you want to grab an apron and help out? You've always liked that." It was true. Marinette always helped out in the bakery when she was younger, cleaning tables, helping customers, and baking, but today, she had a job to do.

"I would, but I'm… I'm meeting someone right now." Sabine gasped.

"A date?! Go, go!" She shooed Marinette away and greeted her customers.

"No it's not-" Marinette sentence died in her throat as her mother greeted her patrons. _I'll explain this to her later._

Marinette turned to the section of the bakery set up with tables, the same tables she had tended and cleaned when she was younger. Most tables were filled with all sorts of people that were working, chatting, or just enjoying the environment. Marinette sat down at a table closest to the window. It had always been her favorite spot. She took a minute to survey the room for anyone she thought might be this "Chat Noir" she was supposed to meet.

Marinette let out a little gasp when she saw someone at the other end of the room. It was Adrien! She immediately was on edge. She didn't want him to see her with Chat Noir and think it was a date. It's just business!

A few minutes passed, filled with little glances at Adrien. He hadn't looked up, as he was intently studying something in a file folder.

"Ladybug?" Marinette jumped at the word. She stood up and made her way to the counter to pick up her drink and pastry. She gave her mother thanks and turned to go back to her table.

"Chat Noir?" Marinette froze. She was speechless as a young man strode toward the counter. He had golden hair, a bright smile on his face and the most incredible green eyes. It was Adrien.

"Ladybug, what a pleasure to meet you." Chat Noir smiled as he bent over and kissed her hand. Marinette tried to fight the butterflies in her stomach.

"The pleasure is all mine, _Chat Noir._ " She smiled. Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette saw her mom give her two thumbs up. It was fit to call her Ladybug, based on the color of her cheeks.

"Should we sit?" Marinette pulled her hand back as Chat Noir stood up.

"Yes, were you over there? By the window?" _He saw me?_ He picked up his coffee labeled 'Chat Noir' and a blueberry muffin from the counter.

"Um, yes, I was." Both adults made their way to the table by the window and set down their drinks and pastries.

"All right, let me grab my stuff." Adrien walked over to the back table, grabbed his folder and sat down across from Marinette. She took a deep breath and straightened her back.

"Let's get started."

* * *

 *** 18:00 hours on 24-hour clock is 6:00 on a 12-hour clock.**

 **** I'm not positive if this is the name of the bakery, but I searched it up and this is what it said. Please send me a PM or review if I'm wrong.**

 **And yes, I realize in the show, they don't show any area with tables in the bakery, at least none that I saw, but for the sake of the story, I put them in there. I'll update as soon as possible!**


End file.
